Saturday, August 30, 2014

Why I Sell Ugly Shoes on eBay

Shoes have always been a good steady producer for me. Shoes are literally everywhere - thrift stores, garage sales, and estate sales can be a jackpot. A seller last week was telling me about an estate sale where the deceased woman had over 300 pairs of Ferragamo shoes. Oh, my!

Some people can't get past the "ick" factor of selling used shoes. But if that doesn't bother you, understand there is good money in used shoes. Many types of shoes have a retail price of over $200 new, and consumers may not want to pay that. eBay sellers can find shoes for between $2 - $5, sell them for $30 or more, and the customer gets a great bargain. Plus, we as sellers get paid to be the middle man. A win all around.

Now, some sellers like to focus on certain types of shoes. Fashionistas focus on high heels or glamorous shoes. Fellow seller Chris, aka The Bonafide Hustler, talks about athletic shoes, trail shoes, and outdoor shoes. Check out his YouTube videos, he has great tips about very specific items that sell well on eBay.

My strategy is to look at the big picture - what kind of footwear does the AVERAGE person buy today? I am always looking at what Baby Boomers are doing because they are such as huge portion of our population and often set buying trends. Boomers "Sacrificed a great deal to get where they are in their career" and often this means their health was compromised along the way to accomplish their career and life goals. As a result, a lot of Boomers have foot problems from standing long hours on their jobs for decades, having to wear shoes that aren't foot-health-friendly, or simply because they have developed diabetes later in life and are beginning to experience foot problems. In fact, foot problems are listed in the top 10 health concerns of Boomers. Aging feet have problems, and they hurt.

So, the footwear industry has responded to this need and created all kinds comfort shoes for Boomers (and others) with foot issues. That is what I focus on rather than fashion trends. The way I see it, a person with foot pain is attracted to eBay to find a solution to their pain that fits their budget. They may be more driven to buy a solution to a problem than to purchase the latest fashion trend - a glamorous shoe that is a frill. And let's face it, many Boomers are on a fixed income and Medicare may not cover all costs for special shoes. Boomers are looking for a more economical option.

What kinds of shoes am I talking about? Here are a few examples of comfort shoes to sell on eBay:

SAS Tripad Sandals - Only only store personnel that have been trained by SAS can sell their shoes. (Buying SAS Shoes.) So only certain stores can sell them which makes them hard to find. eBay shows about 1,200 completed listings for SAS Tripad Sandals in used condition. These routinely sell for over $50 a pair, and some over $80 a pair.

Crocs RX Cloud - Designed for the diabetic foot. Retail for $50 and may sell for more on eBay if a hard to find size or wide or narrow width.

Dr. Comfort - Makes a wide variety of shoes for many different foot conditions including over-pronation, bunions, flat feet, heel pain, Morton's Neuroma, and more. Dr. Comfort makes sandals, boots, athletic shoes, oxfords, even boat shoes like Sperrys. Sold prices can go as high as $70 on eBay.

So while most sellers in the thrift store are fighting over the Louboutins, Prada pumps, or Tory Burch flats, casually browse the comfort shoe section. You are probably passing by all kinds of shoes you can sell for a good profit - and provide a senior citizen with a comfortable pair of shoes at a good price at the same time.

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